Following on from the 'sugar tax', which came into effect on the 6th April, the Dental Wellness Trust is calling for a ban on children under the age of six consuming drinks high in sugar, and legislation preventing sugary drinks being sold to children under twelve.

Dr Linda Greenwall, founder of the trust, said: "An age restriction and ban would have a fast and effective impact on the consumption of these drinks, ultimately helping to improve the health of our children, not to mention relieve strain on our health service." With one in five children in Britain leaving primary school obese and a rise in tooth decay, all measures are welcome to improve our children's health.

The Soft Drinks Industry Levy has imposed a 'sugar tax' of 18p per litre on soft drinks containing 5–7g sugar per 100ml and 24p per litre for those containing more than 8g of sugar per 100ml. However, price increases will be most effective if the people who consume too much sugar significantly reduce their intake.

The NHS recommends that added sugar should not make up more than 5% of total calorie intake, which is around 30g of sugar a day.